Heretofore it has been common practice in performing shoulder arthroscopy to employ an assistant, unaided by any mechanical apparatus, to hold the arm of a patient in position for the duration of the operating procedure. It should be noted that shoulder arthroscopy involves complexities not encountered in knee arthroscopy. For example, in the former, the arm must simultaneously be elevated and distracted in a variety of configurations. A few mechanical devices have recently become available but they provide only unidirectional traction and are not structurally sound enough for a hospital environment.